Intersecting jet - waterjet nozzle

ABSTRACT

A liquid fan jet nozzle having a housing with a central passage having an inlet and an outlet. A subnozzle is arranged in the central passage and has two round orifices arranged along converging axes so that round liquid jets exiting the round orifices collide at a distance from the orifices and form a fan-shaped jet.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present invention is based on and claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 60/515,356 filed Oct. 28, 2003entitled INTERSECTING JET—WATERJET NOZZLE, the entire disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a liquid jet nozzle, and moreparticularly to a liquid jet nozzle which causes the fluid exiting thenozzle to have a fan pattern.

Numerous types of nozzles for fluids are presently known, and are usedfor various different purposes. For example, U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. US 2003/0015604 discloses a nozzle to promote a flatfluid stream. The nozzle of this reference relates to an atomizingnozzle for injecting fuel into, for example, a furnace. In this nozzle,a central liquid stream is impacted on two sides by air jets in order toshape the spray pattern of the liquid stream.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,301 also shows an atomizing nozzle. In thisconstruction once again, two air flow paths are directed toward acentral liquid flow to shape the spray pattern of the liquid.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,778 also shows an atomizing nozzle. In thisconstruction, however, the mixed flow of air and liquid exits from twoorifices that are directed toward one another.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,491 teaches another type of spray nozzle whichproduces a fan-shaped pattern by surrounding the central liquid emittingorifice with air emitting orifices so that the compressed air changesthe shape of the spray pattern.

All of the above discussed references utilize air and a liquid and areintended for relatively low nozzle discharge pressures.

A nozzle for a different purpose is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.3,927,833. This nozzle is intended for providing a mixed spray of aplural component liquid resin and a curing agent with granular and fibermaterial entrained in the mixed spray.

The nozzle of the present invention is intended for use as a waterjetcutting nozzle. Such a nozzle and the equipment it is used with isdisclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2002/0066345.As can be seen from this reference, a typical waterjet system includes awaterjet head that is supplied with liquid at an ultra high pressure,for example, 10,000-60,000 per square inch. The ultra high pressureliquid is discharged from the head in a high velocity stream against thework piece. The liquid stream is used to cut through the work piece.

A conventional waterjet nozzle has a round sapphire orifice. A knownproblem encountered with using such a nozzle is a taper being formed atthe cut. In order to address this problem, fan jet nozzles have beenused which provide a fan-shaped stream. These known nozzles are notdurable and have a limited life span when used at pressures above 20,000pounds per square inch (psi). The life expectancy of presently availablefan jets above 20,000 psi (more importantly in the 30,000-40,000 psirange) is nowhere near what commercially available round sapphireorifice nozzles can produce.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide awaterjet nozzle that outputs a fan-shaped stream and has a working lifeexpectancy that is greater than existing fan jet nozzles.

Pursuant to this object, and others which will become apparenthereafter, one aspect of the present invention resides in a waterjetnozzle constructed to have two round water jets directed toward oneanother so that fluid leaving the jets intersects to form a fan jetpattern. By creating the fan jet pattern with two round orifices,namely, round sapphire orifices, the fan jet nozzle of the invention hasa much longer useful life than conventional fan jet nozzles at operatingpressures above 20,000 psi.

Furthermore, due to the highly cohesive nature of the round jets formedprior to intersection, the resulting combined or intersected jet retainsa very high percentage of the energy available prior to intersection.

Additionally, it is an easy matter to vary the resulting angle of thefan jet by changing the angle between the nozzles forming the roundjets.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description of the invention which refers tothe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-section through the inventive nozzle;

FIG. 2 is a view of the fan jet along the arrow A in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the pattern of the fan jet produced by theinventive nozzle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section through the fan jet nozzle 1 of the presentinvention. The nozzle 1 has a housing 2 with a central channel 3 viawhich water enters the nozzle and an outlet 4 via which the formed fanjet 5 exits the nozzle. A subnozzle 6 is arranged in the central channel3 and has two converging sections 7. The subnozzle 6 has a roundsapphire orifice 8 arranged in each converging section 7 for forming around jet 9. The orifices 8 are arranged on converging axes so that thetwo round water jets 9 leaving the orifices 8 collide with one anotherat a distance from the exit of the orifices 8. By properly aligning theorifices 8 of the subnozzle 6 the horizontal component of the leftorifice in FIG. 1 cancels the corresponding horizontal component of theright orifice. This results in a combined jet 5 that consists completelyof vertical components of the two round forming jets 9. Also, theresulting combined jet 5 is substantially at the center space betweenthe two initial forming jets 9.

The resulting single vertical jet 5 is shown in FIG. 2, where it is seento have a fan-shape, instead of remaining circular. The angle α of thefan jet results from the intersection of the forming jets 9 and ismainly a function of the angle θ between the initial forming jets 9.

Although the round orifices can be constructed of any suitable material,sapphire is desirable due to its relatively long working life.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the fan jet 5 produced by the intersectinginitial jets 9.

Although the present invention has been described in relation toparticular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modificationsand other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It ispreferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by thespecific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

1. A liquid fan jet nozzle, comprising: a housing having a centralpassage with an inlet and an outlet; and a subnozzle arranged in thecentral passage, the subnozzle having two round orifices arranged alongconverging axes so that round liquid jets exiting the round orificescollide at a distance from the orifices and form a fan-shaped jet. 2.The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the round orifices are sapphireorifices.
 3. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the round orificesof the subnozzle are aligned so that a horizontal component of a firstof the orifices cancels a horizontal component of a second of theorifices.
 4. The nozzle according to claim 3, wherein an angle thatencompasses the fan jet is a function of an angle between the convergingaxes of the round orifices in the subnozzle.